The bridge that has carried Route 21 traffic over the Monongahela River between Fayette and Green Counties since 1925 was demolished Saturday in a spectacular operation, part of a $50-million project to improve the roadway.

The Masontown Bridge was blown apart using a series of steel-cutting explosives. One-half of the replacement bridge is already in place right next to the old bridge, so the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation had to use extra caution to make sure the new span wasn't damaged in the blast.

"It appears from what we've seen so far that it appears to be a successful blast," said Bill Kovach with PennDot.

People who live in Masontown and use the bridge on a daily basis weren't sad to see it destroyed.

"It's very dangerous," said Stan Brozick. "Glad to see it go."

The span of bridge was allowed to fall into the river, where PennDot crews collected the steel and shipped it off to be recycled.